Category Archives: Farm Girl Gardening

My little garden shed was a total disaster. I had neglected it for months. So, now that it’s time to put my garden toys away, I decided I had to do some cleaning and organizing. It’s always a sad day for me when I have to put “patio furniture” away for the winter. As you can see my description of patio furniture covers a wide range of stuff. I had to organize just to fit everything into my little hut. The sleds and ice skates will come out at some point, but I’m in no hurry for that. Brrrr……… I cleared the old table just in case I get inspired to make a few wreaths for Christmas. Everything depends on the weather. I’m hoping for a mild, dry winter which is basically every dairy farmers wish. I stacked my doors inside and wrote one last memo on my chalkboard. The only ones that fit my budget are chocolate and whiskey. I’ve been a chocolate lover for ages. Not sure about the whiskey….but the “old timers” swear by it. Life isn’t easy……. Outside the door is my little cilantro patch. I’m not sure how the seed got carried over to this point, but I’m happy with it. I make homemade salsa all the time. Any “cowboy” that I feed always likes to have chips and salsa. So, I planted a bit more the other day. Cilantro loves cool weather. There you have it….my rustic garden shed. Fits my style and holds all my “stuff” throughout the winter months. My Dr. Pepper sign is gold! I’ve looked high and low for another one….they are elusive. Once I do….I’m buying 2, 3, maybe 4. Until then……..this Milkmaid is getting ready for hibernation…………………….Carol

The gardening season for Oklahoma is winding down. I’m ready for a break, but it also means that “old man winter” is just around the corner. I’ve seen that corner before and I’m not impressed. So, I’m trying to squeeze in as much late summer gardening as possible. This flowerbed is out by the edge of the road and has caused me great distress ever since I built it. A few weeks ago as I was mowing the yard….I happened to take a good look at what was happening. I gasped in horror….it was looking hideous……………… Thanks to a full summer of neglect….this was my masterpiece. I hung my head in shame. I’m sure my neighbors thought that my taste was “dead”. Right then and there I decided that this needed an extreme makeover. When the “milkmaid” gets an idea in her head, there’s no stopping her. The next day I made a trip to my favorite garden spot and bought some new plants. I also headed for the back pasture and loaded up some beautiful compost. The soil in this corner flowerbed is a “killer”. Hard and ugly clay dirt! It’s a beast to work with. I pulled out all the ugly and shoveled fresh compost. I had planted perennial grass along the back side and was tired of the look. It wasn’t performing like I wanted and so I decided it must go. This stuff was huge. First I had to shovel all around the base to loosen it up. Next I took a big heavy duty log chain (like we use to pull tractors) and wrapped it around the base. Then I hooked it up to the four-wheeler and put that baby in four wheel drive. Yes siree…where there’s a will, there’s a way. I hauled it straight to the burn pile. I planted crepe myrtle bushes in place of the grass. These do wonderful in our hot Oklahoma summers. They bloom for weeks and put on quite a show. It was quite a work out, but I was totally pleased with the results. The death look was gone and in it’s place was bright and colorful. Now I can hold my head up high when the neighbors drive by. And I can sleep at night knowing that I conquered another hurdle in my gardening world……………………….Carol

Ok, I’m going to do one more story on “garden” before I go back to “cow talk”. Sunflowers….I love them. All colors, shapes and sizes. Sunflowers and dairy farms go together like peas and carrots. I like to plant a couple of rows every summer. It’s very important to start with good quality seeds. And I failed this year. I messed around and didn’t get my order in to my favorite catalog. Therefore, I had to go buy them at the garden center. Big mistake! They had the hardest time sprouting…..and some of them never did come up. I was banging my head against the wall! How could I have been so dense?! But look…..a few “cheap seeds” survived. Whew! Close call! I couldn’t remember what kind I bought, so I had to wait until they started blooming to know what I was getting. Turns out I had some really nice colors. They come in some really cool colors now a days, but I had the basic yellow, orange, and red. The stems were loaded with buds and I hated to cut any off, but I sure wanted to make a bouquet. Now don’t you think that the cows would look lovely with a few sunflowers stuck between their ears? Especially our Brown Swiss! I could duct tape it on and see what happens….haha. Something to think about. I made a few bouquets for my kitchen. It always cheers things up to have fresh flowers. Especially if it’s been a hard day. Yes, give me more sunflowers. I had enough to make several arrangements. I left one on the patio to enjoy. My “happy place” just got happier. Sad to say….they’re done blooming for the summer. They’re all hanging their heads and looking sad and forlorn. The birds are probably having a feast eating the seeds. Of course when I was busy arranging, the cat had to insert herself right in the middle of the action. I had several comments on the “header” of my posts. Those sunflowers came out of my garden. I always try to place a picture that comes from somewhere on the farm. Just wanting to keep it real. So, coming up next we’ll be back to the bovines………………….Carol

I’ve been procrastinating writing this post for several reasons. First…I don’t want to be a “whiner butt”. Second…I’m not asking for any sympathy. Third…everyone else has a “thorn in the flesh” too. But I have to do it and get it over with. So, here goes nuthin’………. Well, for starters the dairy industry for farmers in the U.S.A. is painting a very bleak picture. Farm magazines are saying…sell out as fast as possible. Milk prices are plummeting low and deep. Co-ops are under-cutting each other. The pricing system is outdated. Milk companies have the right to “leave us high and dry” with no place to market our milk. All this and more was working on my brain as I headed out to run errands. Needless to say….I was feeling the anguish deep down in my soul. Maybe it was divine….but I felt the need to stop by my favorite antique store and see if I could cheer myself up. Wow! Look what I found! So many treasures and they were having summer sales. Dirt cheap! I couldn’t believe it. Should I laugh or cry?! I felt the dark cloud lifting and just a small ray of sunshine “peeking” through. By the time I got home I was feeling pretty special. Special….because the Lord saw my “silent tears” which I wouldn’t allow to run down my face. Special….because I was reassured that I wasn’t forgotten after all. Special….because I now had enough energy again to keep forging ahead and hang on amid all the chaos and uncertainty. As soon as I got home I raced into the house and hollered for everyone to come look at the treasures I had found. Of course, I immediately started placing everything here and there and everywhere. What fun! So now that I exposed myself and our bleak future in the dairy industry I’m going to go drink an iced coffee and do a little gardening. Chore time is right around the corner. The moral of the story is this…..I felt like my prayers were bouncing off the walls and hitting me in the face. Nothing is fair…but I’m not allowed to give up. (even though I feel like it) I was encouraged with just a few simple “junk finds”. Thank you Jesus………………..Carol

These days I keep hearing people talk about their “happy place”…..what?! It’s the popular thing to say….right?! Usually by the time I figure things out, they aren’t popular anymore. So, I may be out of style or totally behind the times. Either way, I’m taking you to my “happy place”. This is my patio. The place where I go to relax. Where I like to putter around and rearrange. This year I added some water tanks. I like to catch all the rain water and use it to water my plants. Only problem…..it doesn’t rain much in July and August. So I sneak the water hose over when Earl isn’t watching and keep them filled. We have to pay for all of our water, so that’s a sore spot with the farmer. I crowded as many plants as possible around the tubs. I had to cover up the ugliness somehow. They have been used in the calf pens. Do you know what happens in calf pens? Lots of mud, cow poop, and dirty filth. I tried to clean them, but some of that doesn’t ever come off. I’m happy with them. I think I’ll keep them. I like to add little knick knacks to my pots. Gives them character. I pick things up at garage sales or antique stores…..a favorite pastime. If only I had more time to pass. I always, always plant dragon wing begonias in my hanging baskets. They grow so nice and they’re super easy. Basically keep them watered and you’ll be fine. A definite favorite of mine. I put groupings of chairs here and there. I like to sit at a different spot. Gotta shake things up every now and then. Pretty much the only traveling I get to do……around my patio. Which setting is my favorite? I can’t decide. That cat though, is always hanging out on the patio. Her name is Minnie. And she’s pregnant. Lord have mercy….all the cats are having babies. I declare….there is no such thing as a sterile barn cat. This is a new arrangement. I used the ladder to paint with but decided it needs to retire. Holding plants is a much better idea. It was kinda wobbly anyway. I love my orange chair! It’s not super comfy, but it looks cool. And what is a garden without all the watering cans?! I love collecting the vintage ones. All shapes and sizes. I need more. My little mini fridge. I keep this thing stocked full of cold drinks. All varieties. Whatever the mood is. You never know what you might need when living on a dairy farm. Things change hourly. Especially when the cows get out and decide to go marching through the sweet corn patch just a few days before it’s ready. (that has happened) That’s the day when you throw your hands up and go straight for that bottle of Jack Daniels. You know….the one you hid in the cupboard high above the refrigerator……behind all your pretty dishes. There’s more than one way to skin a cat! This may very well be my favorite time of day. I love to turn all my garden lights on and sit and ponder. You know….deep thinking. For example….am I really out of dark chocolate? Am I the only one that knows how to restock the fridge? Do I smell cow poop? Surely not. And where is my housekeeper? My windows are dirty. I better scram………………….Carol

Dear Shooter…..we miss her so much! She was the best! We lost our favorite cow in November of 2016. On that sad day I told the family that I was building a Memorial garden in memory of Shooter. Well, it’s taken me this long to finally finish my project. So now, I’m not sure who’s resting more peacefully…..me or Shooter?! Let’s take a look at this garden and see what has transpired in the last year and a half……………….. I didn’t have it all mapped out, I just kinda created as I went along. This was an empty space and for die-hard gardeners……no empty space is allowed. My parents gave me the wagon as a gift. I was on cloud nine. So, of course I had to incorporate this into my latest project. Shooter would have loved it! Empty and ugly. I finally got tired of looking at this unfinished project and decided enough is enough. The “boys” were kind of between work projects and so I casually announced one evening that we should “get rid of the gravel pile” tomorrow. Haha Earl being the handy man with the tractor and loader. I had ordered the gravel and it had been on a pile since last summer. This isn’t easy work….maybe that’s why I was procrastinating. This is back breaking work……smoothing out the gravel. We persevered and conquered the beast! Needless to say, we were sweating buckets. I started gathering little things here and there to make the garden cozy and comfy in memory of Shooter. I bought the plants for a “song”. This time of year everything is marked way down. This is the night version of Shooter’s garden. I had all the lights in storage that were leftover from Christmas shopping. So, I dug them out and Ta-Da….I thought it made a spectacular show. Just in time for the 4th of July. Not that we party or anything….but it’s the thought that counts. I love sitting out after dark and turning on all the lights. It’s so peaceful…… Here we have the “star of the show”….Shooter. I remember the night that she was born….and the night she died. She had a difficult breech birth…..and both she and the calf fluttered to “cow heaven” the same day. (breech is a calf coming out backwards) The Troyer household was very quiet that night. You might say it’s just a cow, but when you raise them from babies on up for years they become a part of the family. Now granted……we have quite a few that I would call very wicked. I am not attached to them. Just like humans….some are kind and lovely and then we have mean and ugly!! We all cried big crocodile tears for our dear Shooter. It’s so nice to finally finish that project. I like it…………………….Carol

I’ve also been busy placing all my “garden flags” around the farm. Memorial Day is just around the corner and it was very important to have them all up and proudly waving in the wind. I love decorating with the flag, but more importantly I’m so grateful for the sacrifices that have been made so that we can live free. Once I place all my flags…..they usually stay up for the rest of the summer. This is what I have…………… This one stays up all the time. I never take it down. It certainly adds color in the dreary days of winter, and summer time is for all the patriotic holidays. The flag adds beauty anywhere I put it. A patriotic welcome on my front porch. No one ever comes to the front door……everyone likes the back porch best. But I still have to have my front porch looking its best….just in case. The cats like it too…..we have a litter of kittens living here. Welcome to the dairy farm! This is out by the road flowerbed. This gives the whole front yard a nicer look. I usually take these down after the holiday and just keep them safe until the next use. Too many “pranksters” in our neck of the woods. My concrete cow decided to mooooove her legs and walk out to the barn. Haha What a pathetic joke?! Michael moved her for me…..notice her cute little cow bell? She desperately needs a coat of black and white paint, but that will have to wait for the “dog days” of summer…..when it’s too hot to move. She did ask for a flag to stay by her side. I gladly granted her wish. And this about does it. My color scheme this year is red, white, and blue. More purple than actual blue but I’m ok with that. I always have red……a farm must have red flowers. Those are the rules. Enjoy the weekend…………………Carol

I feel like I’m finally getting somewhere with my “to-do” list after spending weeks putting up hay. I’m never totally caught up. You know the saying….”A woman’s work is never done”. How true that is. I just quit for the day and start over again tomorrow. I try to prioritize, but when it comes to planting flowers and working outside…..everything else takes a back seat. So, come along and I’ll show you how a farm girl/milkmaid likes to garden. I love antiquing and flea markets, but hardly ever have time to go. Usually it’s only when friends or family visit from miles away and I get to take the day off and show them a good time. So, I’ve collected a few things over the years and I like to incorporate them into my garden plans. Like this wagon…..it carries something different every summer. I can never make up my mind…..so I change it up constantly. I didn’t actually find this at a sale. I found it hanging in the barn. What a priceless treasure….if you’re into this kind of thing. And I am…I love “cow skulls”. Maybe because I’ve worked with cattle for nearly 25 years. I’ve learned a thing or two. My life is consumed with cows, calves, and cow poop. I pick things up here and there. I don’t always know where I’m going to put it, but it usually comes to me when I’m in the barn milking the bossy bovines. My mind begins to wander while waiting on a slow poke cow and suddenly…..a light bulb goes on!! The big rock comes from our pasture. I don’t think Earl will ever move it again. Amen! What’s not to like about an old iron wheel?! So many memories are sitting right there in that flowerbed. If only they could talk. The great stories they would tell. So glad we don’t have to farm that way anymore. Whew! Those pioneer farmers had to work hard. And I thought I had to work hard?! Thank God I don’t have to milk by hand! This bike belonged to my Aunt Clara. We called it her “red corvette”. A lot of memories go with this thing. I always have it right here by the tree…..so I walk by it every day on my way to and from the barn. I just want you to know that not everything is lovely around here. This bed was a natural disaster. I had to walk past it every day and I shuddered every time. How could I allow it to become so hideous?! What is wrong with me? What in the world am I thinking? What am I doing? Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I went to work and did some serious weeding and planting. I feel like I accomplished something great. My only problem….little Dixie Chic is digging holes and laying in the cool dirt. Grrrr……I am fit to be tied. It’s like training a young child all over again. I think I’ll just look away and pretend I never saw anything…or maybe not………………………Carol

Ok, so my last post was about mowing down hay for the cows. I’m supposed to be talking about the next step….raking and hauling and wrapping. We’re still in the middle of all that feed making process, so I’ve got plenty of time to talk “feed” later on. Instead I’m going to slip in a short gardening story. I’ve been working on this project all spring and finally wrapped it up. This particular bed was long overdue for an extreme makeover. It was looking stale and outdated. Plus it desperately needed some fresh compost. I love taking something old and ugly and transforming into something beautiful. I found this compost pile in the back pasture. I was so excited….it’s good stuff. So, I grabbed Michael and we headed to the back 40. It took 2 loads of this “gold” to transform one big bed. I sure hope it makes things grow. Just look at the ugliness! It was so weed infested and the soil was hard and ugly. My poor hostas were gasping for air. I didn’t have it all planned out in my head…..I just started digging. The rest of the inspiration came to me as I went along. I think I broke a sweat when I did all that shovel work, but I am not complaining. That wicked weather from last winter is still too fresh in my mind. It’s amazing what a little TLC can do. I wish I had more time to sit and relax in this chair. It’s an excellent place to hide from the rat race. I freshened up my little gravel pathway. It was looking very worn and tattered. I shoveled the gravel onto my little trailer and carried it in by bucket. Not an easy job, but I was determined. I put in a few new plants. Three lilac bushes and two oak leaf hydrangeas. A few coral bells and some annuals. Here’s to hoping that everything will grow beautifully this summer. The cat is very real! So, this is what I’ve been doing in my spare time. Now I need to keep moving around to the rest of the beds. My poor patio is crying out for attention. It is very important to get this feed project finished up because I’ve got flowers to plant………………….Carol

Yes! Finally, I am reaping the harvest. I planted cold weather vegetables the first of March and am now enjoying the “fruits of my labor”. It is so delicious! Vegetables that are packed full of flavor. I’m not being ungrateful, but the grocery store vegetables taste pretty bland compared to homegrown. Gardening takes some effort, but well worth it. Just look…..a sight for sore eyes. I could eat my lunch outside by the garden….all I need is a salt shaker. I can use my handy dandy pocket knife to cut and trim….shake off the dirt and we’re good to go. Hmmm…..where has that pocket knife been? What have I been cutting today? I love red leaf lettuce…..green lettuce…..any color lettuce. All that work of putting a cage around everything finally paid off. Those sorry “chickens” tried their best…but to no avail. My ongoing war with the chickens is almost over. I have my pen built….all I lack is to cut their wings so that they can’t fly over the fence. I’ve asked myself a thousand times…..is this really worth it??? Still no answer. Kale is cool! Or so I hear. I like to eat it when it’s young and tender. Hot or cold? I’ll take it either way. I planted enough for an army though. I always seem to get carried away during planting season. This year I’m going to try and rein it in a bit when I plant the rest of my garden. Not plant more than is necessary. Be reasonable….practice self-control. Is that possible for a “mad cow milkmaid”? We shall find out. Last but not least. My apple trees are blooming right now. Such beautiful blooms. I’m hoping for a bountiful harvest. We like homemade applesauce and we ate the last of it about a week ago. It’s a mess to make, but sure is tasty. “Farm to table”….”know where your food comes from”….”farm to fork”….everybody’s jumping on the bandwagon. I didn’t even know it, but I’ve been on the “bandwagon” ever since I was a kid. Some things never change…………………….Carol